Integrated Water Resource Management
As defined by the Global Water Partnership, integrated water resource management is a process which promotes the coordinated development and management of water, land, and related resources in order to maximize the resultant economic and social welfare in an equitable manner without compromising the sustainability of vital ecosystems. Resources available within this theme provide guidance on how to conserve and restore watersheds, reduce pollution, adapt to climate change and reduce risks from floods and droughts.
Integrated Water Resource Management Resources
The Role of Conservation Programs in Drought Risk Adaptation
Published:
April 1, 2013U.S. Department of Agriculture
This report evaluates the extent to which farms facing higher levels of drought risk are more likely to participate in conservation programs, and finds a strong link between drought risk and program participation. Conservation program outcomes are influenced by regional differences in production...Read more
Water Conservation in Irrigated Agriculture: Trends and Challenges in the Face of Emerging Demands
Published:
September 1, 2012U.S. Department of Agriculture
U.S. agriculture accounts for 80-90 percent of the Nation's consumptive water use (water lost to the environment by evaporation, crop transpiration, or incorporation into products). Despite technological innovations, at least half of U.S. irrigated cropland acreage is still irrigated with less...Read more
Regional focus:
United StatesConservation Practices that Save: Irrigation Water Management
Published:
May 1, 2006U.S. Department of Agriculture
Agricultural water supply is emerging as a critical natural resource issue. Irrigated agriculture is essential in meeting our food and fiber production needs. Irrigation water management encourages the application of water in an amount that meets the need of the growing plant in a manner that...Read more
Western Irrigated Agriculture: Production Value, Water Use, Costs, and Technology Vary by Farm Size
Published:
September 2, 2013U.S. Department of Agriculture
The largest irrigated farms in the region averaged about 3,300 acres, of which 1,020 were irrigated in 2008; the smallest farms averaged 244 acres, of which 47 were irrigated. Use of improved water-management practices can help producers maximize the economic efficiency of their irrigation systems...Read more
The Role of Conservation Program Design in Drought Risk Adaptation
Published:
July 1, 2013U.S. Department of Agriculture
Drought-risk adaptation involves farmers taking actions or making investments that reduce their vulnerability to drought. These actions and investments will generally be of greater benefit to farmers in areas that face a higher risk of drought during the growing season. As a result, other things...Read more
Economics of Water Quality Protection From Nonpoint Sources: Theory and Practice
Published:
November 1, 1999U.S. Department of Agriculture
Pollution from nonpoint sources is the single largest remaining source of water quality impairments in the United States.
Agriculture is a major source of several nonpoint-source pollutants, including nutrients, sediment, pesticides, and salts. Agricultural nonpoint pollution reduction policies can...Read more
Estimating Water Quality Benefits: Theoretical and Methodological Issues
Published:
September 1, 1992U.S. Department of Agriculture
Knowledge of the benefits and costs to water users is required for a complete assessment of policies to create incentives for water quality improving changes in agricultural production. A number of benefit estimation methods are required to handle the varying nature of water quality effects. This...Read more
Water Quality Benefits from the Conservation Reserve Program
Published:
February 1, 1989U.S. Department of Agriculture
The Conservation Reserve Program may generate an estimated $3.5 to $4 billion in water quality benefits. Potential benefits include lower water treatment costs, lower sediment removal costs, less flood damage, less damage to equipment which uses water, and increased recreational fishing. Benefits...Read more
Improving Air and Water Quality Can Be Two Sides of the Same Coin
Published:
September 1, 2005U.S. Department of Agriculture
Air quality policies have traditionally focused on urban areas and industrial emissions. Extending these laws to cover agriculture would require an understanding of how farmers respond to different policy incentives. Farmers have many choices in deciding on what to produce and the production...Read more
Water Use and Pricing in Agriculture
Published:
July 1, 2006U.S. Department of Agriculture
Irrigated agriculture remains the dominant use of freshwater in the United States, although the share of water consumed by irrigation is declining. National irrigated cropland area has expanded by one-third since 1969, while irrigation water application rates have declined by about 15 percent...Read more
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